Puri unde/puffed rice/roasted poha laddu is the traditional sweet that we usually see at weddings and some festivals. We grew up eating this puri unde along with chakkali (unde-chakli) – we used to get this as a goodie bag from every marriage my family attended. This was a must-give snack, or else we used to think there was something wrong with the celebrations itself :). My ajji (grandma) and amma used to prepare this during Navarathri and Ganesha chaturthi to distribute to friends and family. I always used to think making these laddus is hard, however I found out that this is the easiest, healthiest snack that we can prepare in no time .

The only thing we have to keep in mind is the consistency of the jaggery syrup – this is very important! We will also never be able to make a unde / laddu if we reduce the amount of jaggery.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups puri/roasted poha
• ¼ cup peanuts (roasted and split)
• 2 tsp sesame seeds ( roasted)
• 3 TBSP fried gram dal/hurigadale/pottukadalai
• 3 TBSP cut dried coconut pieces
• 1 to 1 ¼ cup jaggery powder (packed)
• 4 to 5 TBSP water

Method:

1. Dry roast the sesame seeds and peanuts,.

Remove the skin from peanuts. TIP: put the roasted peanuts in a clean towel and rub gently, it will both peel the peanuts as well as split them!

1. If the puri is not crunchy enough, warm it up and keep it aside.
2. Now in a bowl, mix the puri, roasted peanuts, coconut pieces, and hurigadale / fried gram and keep it aside. We will add the sesame seeds at the end.

To clean the jaggery and to prepare the syrup:

1. Keep the jaggery along with 4 to 5 TBSP water in a pan on medium heat.
2. Let the jaggery melt completely.
3. Strain it through a clean cloth.
4. Boil this clean syrup in a kadai on medium low heat and let it boil.
5. This syrup should reach a thread-like consistency. To test, take some syrup in a spoon, touch it with your index finger, and gently press your finger against your thumb. When you separate your fingers, it should be like a thread. You can also check by adding a drop of syrup into a bowl of water. The syrup should not dissolve.
6. Once the syrup reaches this consistency, turn off the stove and pour it onto the prepared mix.
7. Add sesame seeds now.
8. Mix it with a spoon at first, and once it is warm enough, either make your palm a little wet and make the balls or rub your palms with little rice flour and make the balls.
9. You have to make laddus/unde when the temperature of the mix is between hot and warm.
10. The Puri unde is now ready to eat. Store it in a airtight container and enjoy for 2 to 3 weeks.

Note:

1. If you are preparing more laddus than this measurement, keep the mix ready and cleaned jaggery syrup ready. Take required amount of cleaned syrup to make the syrup and prepare the laddus/unde batch by batch.